Blood Moon by Gwendolyn Harper (books for students to read .TXT) 📕

commented. “We scouted it a few days ago. There’s nothing but mechanical pieces in there. Computer chips, wires…”

Nudging Booker, Caitlin nodded to the car. “Look at it.”

“I am, and I’m wishin’ I could take her for a spin.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “No, I meant look at the condition of the car. It’s clean—there’s no blood splatters, no dents. There aren’t even handprints.”

Booker frowned. “I think I’m missin’ somethin’.”

“They drove through a giant herd of Geeks, and there’s not a single speck on that car. Unless there’s a secret tunnel I’m not aware of, they must have something that keeps the Geeks away from them while they’re driving.”

Arching her neck, Caitlin looked around at the parking lots and other abandoned shops. Even though the town was small—a real ‘one stop light’ kind of place—there still would have been at least a few Geeks roaming around, either looking for someone to gnaw on or trudging towards the mother-herd.

“Hold on,” she muttered, turning the key just far enough for the battery to work.

Hitting the on button for the radio, she pressed scan and waited.

A piercing sound erupted through their speakers, and everyone clutched their ears in agony.

“Cae, turn it off!”

Slamming her palm down on the radio again, the noise stopped.

Taking a deep breath, everyone collected themselves. Even Fancy began panting.

“That’s how,” she said. “They figured out a way to repel Geeks.”

“That high-pitched sound is what keeps them safe driving through the herd?” Max frowned. “But the tower would have to switch frequencies, and that would mean risking all the rotters scattering away.”

“It isn’t coming from the tower,” she said. “They must have a transmitter in their car.”

Rubbing his neck, Booker nodded. “Stick in a couple of ear plugs, flip that thing on and put it on full blast through the speakers, and you’ve got yourself a groaner proof car.”

Caitlin’s pulse spiked.

They had their way through the herd.

“We have to follow them,” she said. “We have to go today.”

“Cae, we can’t,” Booker told her. “We don’t have enough weapons or time to train people—hell, the group might be movin’ on if they vote that way tonight.”

“But this might be our only shot,” she urged. “They wouldn’t have that transmitter if they weren’t involved with the Ark. They know where it is, how to get there—”

“I’m not sayin’ you’re wrong,” Booker cut in. “I’m sayin’ we ain’t got enough time to do this. You wanna pull off a full-blown rescue operation for dozens of people in less than a few hours, with no warning and no time to prepare?”

“Booker—”

“Meadows, I swear to—”

Max cleared his throat loudly behind them. “Or… We could steal the car.”

Slowly, Caitlin and Booker turned to look at him.

“What?”

He shrugged. “We could steal the car,” he repeated. “I was going to say steal the transmitter, but it might be hardwired in and difficult to take out quickly. Plus, if we steal the car, then we have some visual coverage when we get to the camp. I’m pretty sure the guards will notice if the mustang that left is suddenly transformed into a Jeep Wrangler upon return.”

The beginnings of a new plan started to form in Caitlin’s mind, rapidly evolving before her.

“What about getting inside the building?” She asked.

“Oh, the camps are actually surprisingly lax when it comes to security once you’re inside the gates,” Max said. “I guess they figure the real threat is outside the fences. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a ton of guards who patrol, but it’s not like there are keypads or anything you have to punch codes into. Just regular doors with regular locks.”

Booker smirked, cocking his head at Caitlin. “Good thing we got a lock pick.”

“I’m a little rusty,” she said. “But if I’m not fast enough, I guess you could just kick the door down.”

“If we take their car, we’re still gonna have to do this fast,” Booker said, glancing back at Max. “Tonight or tomorrow. I still don’t think that’s enough time.”

“Fate’s given us a pretty spectacular opening,” Max told him. “And fortune favors the brave.”

“We could figure out how to slow them down too,” Caitlin said, stare locked on the back of the mustang. “How many people do you think are in there?”

Booker frowned, watching the front of the shop. “Two, maybe three.”

She nodded slowly. “I bet we could take them.”

“You wanna kill people over a fast car and a radio transmitter?”

“What?” Caitlin exclaimed, aghast. “No. I was just thinking of knocking them unconscious and leaving them tied up in a supply closet or something.”

Booker’s chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. “That… makes more sense.”

Max shifted forward again, looking between them. “You do realize that once we take their magic rotter repellant away, they’re going to have their hands full, right?”

Caitlin titled her head, grinning widely at Booker. “Well look at that, Fate’s given us another gift.”

Pleased, and clearly trying not to show it, Booker glanced over his shoulder.

“Max, you know how to hot wire a car?”

“Wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t.”

“Good man.”

Chapter Fifteen

Booker was right. They didn’t have a lot of time.

But less than twenty-four hours with several advantages up their sleeves was still better than nothing.

It had to be better.

The meeting to vote on whether to stay another few days or move on had turned into a debriefing on what they’d uncovered and a rundown of the new, albeit rough plan.

Trish still insisted on giving people the option to pack up and head out, but not many people seemed interested in that idea.

Quite a few of them had come from the Kentucky camp, and had been split from their families. The possibility of reuniting was worth the risk of being discovered.

It all sounded